If you’re considering a long-term career in the healthcare industry, you may be researching the differences and similarities between medical assistants and medical coders and billers. Both of these are positions which are in demand for the near future. Before you make a decision about your career path, let’s look at each of these jobs in depth so you can see which one is best for you.
Medical Assistants vs Medical Billers and Coders: Short Summary
Medical assistants work with physicians performing administrative and clinical tasks that help provide patients with the best healthcare possible. Though they are not allowed to do certain tasks (make a diagnosis, interpret test results, create a treatment plan, write a prescription) medical assistants are a crucial part of every medical office, keeping the flow of patient appointments moving smoothly. Medical assistants schedule appointments, prep patients for exams, update medical records, and do basic clinical tasks in physician’s offices, clinics, and hospitals.
Medical coders and billers transcribe all the details of a patient visit into universal codes which are used to submit insurance claims, ensuring healthcare facilities receive the correct reimbursement. Though medical billers and medical coders are two distinct roles, they can often be done by the same person or remote team. Medical coding deals with the encoding of the patient-provider appointments, while medical billers deal with the insurance claims submissions, including scrubbing errors, and ensuring timely payments. Medical coders and billers are incredibly important to the revenue cycle of medical offices and clinics.
What are the Job Duties For Medical Assistants vs Medical Coders?
Medical assistants work in medical offices to support physicians with clinical and administrative tasks, while medical billers and coders support medical offices behind-the-scenes with insurance claims and reimbursement. Here’s a closer look at each of their roles and responsibilities.
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Medical assistants perform a variety of administrative and clinical tasks that allow the physicians to provide high-quality patient care each day.
Here are some of the administrative duties a medical assistant may be responsible for:
- Welcoming patients and answering the phone
- Updating patient medical records
- Scheduling patient appointments
- Corresponding with patients, other healthcare facilities, and insurance companies
- Updating and managing patient insurance information
These are some of the clinical duties a medical assistant performs:
- Preparing patients for medical examinations
- Writing down medical histories
- Measuring vital signs, like blood pressure
- Collecting patient samples
- Drawing blood for diagnostic testing (some states require a phlebotomy license)
- Removing sutures and changing dressings
- Performing basic laboratory exams
- Helping physicians with medical examinations
- Administering injections or giving medications per physician’s instructions and as regulated by state law
- Performing EKGs when needed
What Do Medical Coders and Billers Do?
Medical coders and billers often work behind-the-scenes helping healthcare facilities get reimbursed from insurance providers. Some still work in-house, but post-2020, many work remotely, meaning their interactions with patients are very few. They most often work for physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics, medical centers, and other healthcare providers. Coding and billing can be separate positions, though in many cases, this is a combined role.
Here are the responsibilities that medical coders have:
- Review and analyze clinical statements & patient records
- Encode diagnoses and procedures into codes using CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPS Level II classification systems according to insurance regulations
- Interact with physicians and assistants to ensure codes are accurate and ready to be converted into a medical billing claim
- Maintaining patient confidentiality and information security
These are the duties that medical billers are responsible for:
- Audit and submit claims to insurance companies for patient procedures and treatments
- Obtain insurance referrals and pre-authorizations for patient procedures
- Verify insurance eligibility and benefits
- Understand insurance guidelines, including those for HMO/PPO, Medicare and Medicaid
- Review patient bills for accuracy and fill in any missing information
- Check payments for accuracy
- Research and appeal denied claims
- Talk with insurance companies about payment discrepancies
- Set up payment plans for patients
- Collect delinquent accounts
- Answer phone inquiries from patients and insurance companies
- Use medical billing software to perform job duties
- Update software with rate changes
- Know Fair Debt Collection Practices
Comparison Chart
| Comparison Point | Medical Assistants | Medical Coders & Billers |
|---|---|---|
| Number of jobs (2025) | 811,000 | 194,800 |
| Projected Job Outlook | Increase 12% between 2024 and 2034 | Increase 7% between 2024 and 2034 |
| New Jobs Being Added (2024-2034) | 101,200 | 13,800 |
| Salary and Pay Range | $44,200 median avg salary per year, $21.50 median avg wage per hour, (All US, 2024). $48,050 median avg salary per year, $23.10 median avg wage per hour, (California, 2024). | $50,250 median avg salary per year, $24.16 median avg wage per hour, (All US, 2024). $59,700 median avg salary per year, $28.70 median avg wage per hour, (California, 2024). | Education & Training Requirements | Certification is not required except in Washington state, but highly recommended because employers seek qualified candidates. | Certification is not legally required to be a medical biller or medical coder, however, it is highly recommended that you get certification if you want to work as a medical coder because the depth of knowledge required is very vast and on the job training is almost non-existent. |
| Certification | Certification is available through a few certifying bodies, Campus Sacramento prepares students for the Nationally Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam. | Basic certification is available through a few certifying bodies. Campus Sacramento prepares students for the Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS) exam offered by the AMBA (American Medical Billing Association) and the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam offered by the AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association). Additional specialty certifications are available through the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) once you gain the required hands-on work experience. |
| Duties & Responsibilities | Clinical and administrative tasks that support physicians in medical offices. Scheduling appointments, updating medical records, preparing exam rooms, taking vital signs, administering vaccines, helping physicians with basic procedures, collecting patient samples. | Encoding patient visits and physician diagnosis and procedures for insurance claims. Checking insurance claims for errors (scrubbing), submitting and follow-up, fixing any errors to ensure proper compensation comes to the medical office. |
| Workplaces | Physician’s offices (57%), hospitals (17%), outpatient care and clinics (10%), specialized health practitioners (7%) | Remote, and also in hospitals (28%), medical offices (19%), other medical administrative (8%), scientific and medical research (7%). |
| Daily Interactions | Work directly with patients and medical staff. | Limited interactions with patients, usually interact only with medical staff, these jobs are becoming mostly remote. |
| Specializations | Numerous specializations are possible in addition to general practice, including, pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, podiatry, ophthalmology, oncology, orthopedics, OB/GYN, etc | Speciality certifications are available through specific organizations in certain fields of medicine, including dermatology, chiropractic, surgical, gastroenterology, urology, pediatrics, oncology, anesthesia and pain management, etc. |
| Required Knowledge | Anatomy, medical terminology, medical office procedures and workflows, basic medical billing, some medical equipment including EKG and blood pressure machines, phlebotomy (recommended). | Medical codes used by insurance and government agencies, including ICD-10-CM, CPT®, HCPCS; knowledge of individual insurance company requirements for patient claims; extensive general knowledge of medical procedures and equipment; basic computer skills. |
| Useful Skills | Interpersonal communication, organizational skills, analytical skills, multitasking, self-managing, patience, empathy. | Analytical skills, attention to detail, technical skills, problem solving, ethics and integrity. |
Job Outlook and Salary Data
Medical assistants nationally earned a median average salary of $44,200 in May 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [1] and a median hourly wage of $21.50 according to the BLS [2].
In California in 2024, the median average salary for medical assistants was $48,050 and the median hourly wage was $23.10 per hour
Medical billers and coders across the US as a whole earned a median annual salary of $50, 250 in May 2024 according to BLS data [3] and a median hourly wage of $24.16.
In California in 2024, according to the BLS, medical billers and coders earned a median annual salary of $59,700 and a median hourly wage of $28.70.
What are the Similarities and Differences Between Medical Assistants and Medical Coders & Billers?
Medical assistants and medical billers and coders both work in the healthcare field, and go through training programs to learn the necessary skills.
Medical billers and coders generally work on a computer, sometimes remotely, and do not work with patients in a hands-on capacity. Medical assistants work directly with patients and physicians, preparing patients for exams and helping physicians with procedures in the capacity they are allowed to.
Medical assistants do hands-on work, such as taking vital signs, preparing exam rooms, collecting patient samples, and updating medical records. Medical coders and billers encode the patient visit and doctor’s diagnosis, procedures, and any medical implements sent home with the patient. This information is used for submitting insurance claims so the medical office is properly compensated.
Can a Medical Assistant Work as a Medical Coder? (or the reverse?)
Some medical assistants transition into medical billing and coding by receiving additional training. It’s not uncommon for medical assistants to handle some simpler aspects of medical billing, however medical coding requires extensive knowledge of ICD-10, CPT, and HCPCS codes. Accuracy is important in medical coding and billing, but many medical assistants make the transition with additional education.
Similarly, medical billers and coders can also transition to working as a medical assistant with additional training, involving hands-on clinical training and an externship at a local clinic or healthcare facility, and lastly taking the certification exam.
Even if you don’t change your career path in healthcare, it’s extremely useful to understand all the aspects of how the healthcare system works and the role each person plays.
Start your Career in Healthcare at Campus
If you’re excited to begin your career in healthcare, Campus Sacramento has Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding programs that will help you learn the skills you need to start your medical career. Both of these programs will help you become trained and certified so you can get your first jobs working in healthcare facilities. For more information on start dates, flexible schedules, and financial aid, contact our friendly Admissions department or call 888-675-2460.
[1] Note: The data provided above are from a source unaffiliated with Campus, formerly known as MTI College, are for informational purposes only and represent the employment field as a whole. They are not solely specific to Campus graduates and, by providing the above information, Campus makes no representation, direct or implied, or opinion regarding employability.
[2] [3] Occupational Work and Employment Statistics, https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/ , Retrieved on October 13, 2025.